Monday, 12 February 2018

Today, I am going to share a very simple,
delectable and quick – Moong Dal Gravy. If you are looking for a recipe without
onions and garlic then you have landed in the right place. This is thick, rich
and creamy gravy that is perfect for vegetarian lunch and on vrat/fasting days.
You can serve this Moong Dal Gravy with hot cup of white rice or with rotis/chapatti
or idli/dosa. Meanwhile do check out other interesting South Indian
Gravies/Dals/Sambars/Rasams here. Do try out this quick Moong dal gravy and
post your comments here. Also check out other easy moong dal sambar here.

Friday, 11 November 2016

Before going into the recipe I
would to share a little about ParuppuKeerai/Purslane/Verdolagas which I
googled and read about in various websites[specialityproduce, Wikipedia,
nutrition and you etc]. Though I have been eating this paruppu keerai since I
was a kid, I was really surprised to read a lot of interesting facts and how it’s
been used all over the world. The greens which I am sharing here is called as
Paruppu Keerai in Tamil, Purslane in English and Verdolagas in Spanish and is
very common in central Mexico. The stem, leaves and the beautiful yellow flowers of paruppu keerai/verdolagas
are all edible and have a slightly salty, slightly tangy and acidic flavor. The
slight tangy taste adds up great taste when we make soups and stir fries, and
its juicy leaves can be used to add texture to salads.

Purslane/Paruppu Keerai is very common around
world, in Mexican cuisine they are commonly paired with pork, tamales, stews
and eggs. In Japan it is commonly pickled and served with rice. In Russia,
Turkey and Lebanon it is used in a variety of salads ranging from tabbouleh to
potato salad. It has long been used in Chinese medicine. In South India, they are
cooked with dals, stir fries, soups etc. Paruppu Keerai/Purslane is rich in
potassium and magnesium. The soft, succulent leaves are rich in Omega -3 fatty
acids which help in lowering blood pressure and regulate cholesterol levels. This
wonderful green leaves are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. It is
an excellent source of Vitamin A , C and some B-complex vitamins like
riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine and carotenoids as well as dietary minerals such
as iron, magnesium, potassium and manganese. With this, I think it’s time for me
to move on to the recipe. Do try out this Paruppu Keerai/Verdolagas pasiparuppu
kadaiyal and post your comments here. Meanwhile do check out other interestingKeerai recipes and different varieties of Greens/Keerais here.

Wednesday, 21 September 2016

Today I
am going to share a very traditional recipe of Tamil Nadu, it is one of the
most authentic delicacy served in weddings and full meal course. We usually
make more kuzhambus with different types of vegetables or even just plain more
kuzhambu, but this one is just awesome. The bondas made out of urad dal, are
soaked in water and then dropped into the more kuzhambu, which absorbs the
spicy butter milk and is extremely soft, which in turn just melts in your mouth
and taste heavenly. Do try it out friends and post your comments here. Keep
visiting for more delightful recipes from my kitchen.

Tuesday, 19 July 2016

Today I
am going to share a very healthy and loving recipe – murungai keerai sambar
from my kitchen. We have Murugaikeerai tree[mom’s house] in our backyard, so I have
decided to share lot more drumstick leaves recipe in the following post. If you
have murugai keerai tree in your back yard it means you have a doctor at home.
It has excellent medicinal values and is a cure for lots of diseases. It has
the amazing healing power to cure wounds inside the stomach, reduces headache
and bloody diarrhea. Murungaikeerai purifies our blood and excretes all the
toxins out of our body. It is an excellent source of calcium and helps in
building stronger bones and teeth. They also contain abundant amount of
potassium which plays a vital role in brain development. I have shared a few
benefits of murungai keerai in this post and will be sharing more benefits
about the same in the upcoming post. For now, do try out this wonderful,
traditional and authentic murungaikeerai sambar and post your comments here. Mean while do not forget to check out other sambar varieties here.

Tuesday, 22 September 2015

Kumbakonam Kadappa
is a scrumptious side dish prepared for idlis and dosas. Kadappa is simple yet a flavorful curry made with moong dal, potatoes and coconut paste. It is very popular and
common in Thanjavur/Tanjore, Kumbakonam and Thiruvarur. Do try out this
delectable Kumbakonam Kadappa and post your feedback. Have a great day and
enjoy.

Saturday, 4 July 2015

Thirunelveli
also known as Nellai is a city in the Southern state of Tamil Nadu, India. It
is located on the banks of Thamirabarani River. Thirunelveli has a number of
historical monuments, the Nellaiappar Temple being the most prominent. The
temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and worshiped as Nellaiappar.
Thiru-Nel-Veli(Thiru –shri, Nel –Paddi, Veli-Fence). It is believed that food
grains collected for worship at the temple were protected from the floods by
the fence, hence the name [source:www.Tirunelveli.com]. Apart from temples and
natural beauty, Thirunelveli is famous for Iruttu Kadai Halwa, Sodhi and many
more recipes. Today I am going to share with you all a very famous Thirunelveli
Sambar which has unique flavor, taste and aroma. Do try out this Thirunelveli
sambar and post your comments. Meanwhile, do check out other sambar varieties ,I
have posted earlier.

Tuesday, 5 May 2015

It’s
been more than a month after I have posted any recipes, I am really sorry for
the long break. I have got several requests from lot of my readers, asking for many
recipes. I will surely post the recipes soon. For today, I am going to share with
you all a very traditional South Indian tiffin sambar which can be made very
easily with less ingredients and in a jiffy. Do try out this finger licking
tiffin sambar and have a great day. I have already posted another variety of
Tiffin sambar made with moong dal, do check it out as well.

Tuesday, 16 September 2014

Kootu
is a very common and a staple food of Tamil Nadu. It is a very healthy combo
of vegetable of your choice and dhal cooked together along with other
ingredients. No feast in Tamil Nadu is complete without a kootu. I have already
posted different type of kootu varieties prepared in most of the households in
Tamil Nadu. But this kootu is very special, the reason is, it is a perfect
blend of South Indian cooking with an exotic and a versatile vegetable, none
other than “zucchini/Courgette”. Do try out this delectable kootu friends and give me your feed backs.

Saturday, 15 March 2014

Lemon
Dal/Nimmakaya pappu is a very special, simple to make delicious and comforting
dal. It is a very popular and a common dish prepared in AndhraPradesh –South India.
This simple yet delectable lemon dal is tangy and perfectly balanced with the
addition of green chillies and red chillies.

Monday, 27 January 2014

Ridge
gourd is a very tender and versatile vegetable referred to as luffa, turiya,
turai, beerakai or dodka in several languages in India. It is a well-known and a
very common vegetable in Asia, Africa and Arabian nations. Ridge gourd is
loaded with dietary fiber, vitamin C, riboflavin, zinc, thiamine, iron, as well
as magnesium. It is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and has excellent
blood purifying properties. Check out other delicious kootu varietieshere.

Tuesday, 26 November 2013

This
carrot & tomato kootu is the easiest kootu to make especially in the
morning rush when you need to pack lunch. The best part of it is you don’t need
to grind anything, yes I can lot of smiles in all of your face. I make this
kootu when I am totally tired and when I don’t want to cook, but still have to
cook. It is so easy, just add everything to the cooker, pressure cook it and
then finally temper it. See how easy it is? Still a very healthy and hevenly
tasting kootu. Now let’s move on to the recipe.

Thursday, 21 November 2013

Paruppu
Kuzhambu/Dal gravy is a very traditional and authentic kuzhambu prepared in all
most all the houses in Tamil Nadu. This paruppu kuzhambu is my grandmas recipe,
who was from Nagapattinam, which my mom makes quite often. Paruppu kuzhambu is different from sambar, because
it is made without using sambar powder or chilli powders. It
is very flavourful and thick in consistency because of the garlic and ground
coconut paste or coconut milk. This same paruppu kuzhambu is prepared
differently in each district of Tamil Nadu with slight changes in the recipe.

Saturday, 9 November 2013

Beetroot
kootu is a very nutritious and healthy dish that can be served with either
white rice or with rotis or any Indian bread. Kootu is a very traditional food
served in Tamil Nadu as a part of lunch menu and no feast (virundhu) is
complete without kootu. Kootu is nothing but cooking vegetables and dals
together and finally tempering them. Kootu can be done with different
combination of vegetables and dals. Beetroot kootu is mostly done with moong
dal, here I have done it with chana dal just like my mom. Check out the other kootu varieties here.

Tuesday, 1 October 2013

Chow
Chows/Chayotes are a light green, pear shaped fruit with one large pit, edible
skin and flesh. Chayotes are native to Meixco but cultivated in warm climates all
over the world. The Chayotes are technically fruits, but very often used as a vegetable.
In South India Chow chow/Chayote kootu is very common and a popular dish. Kootu
is nothing but a dish prepared by adding vegetables and dals together with very
mild spices and seasoned for flavouring. Chow chow is very commonly called a “Bangalore
Kathrikkai” in TamilNadu. Chow chow/Chayotes have high fiber and water content
and very less sugar. It is loaded with vitamin C, potassium and amino acids,
when cooked with dals it becomes one whole dish packed with proteins as well. Check out other delicious kootu varietieshere.

Saturday, 20 July 2013

We all
make different kinds of kootu, this is one among them. This cabbage kootu is my
husband’s favourite, usually tomatoes are not added but I prefer adding them.
This is a very special South Indian kootu that be made very quickly and taste delectable. Check out other delicious kootu varietieshere.

Tuesday, 18 June 2013

Paruppu
Thakkali is a very healthy and yummy dal that can be prepared very fast and
served with white rice & ghee or idlis, chapathis and rotis. In this dal we
do not use tamarind instead the tomatoes give the sour taste and balance the
taste of dal.

Thursday, 13 June 2013

Killi
potta sambar is a
very simple and quick sambar that can be made within minutes. Killi potta sambar means you just add redchillies and make sambar. My mom makes this
sambar very often and serves with potato roast, this combo just tastes
heavenly. The best part of this sambar is, it does not need lot of ingredients
but still tastes great. We do not use sambar powder for this sambar, but it
gets its taste from the dry red chillies and the green chillies. So friends
here it is…

Monday, 3 June 2013

Mulai
keerai poondu masiyal is one of my favorite dishes, it is very healthy and very
easy to make. My mom makes it atleast 2 to 3 times a week. It needs very less
ingredients and very less time to
prepare, but has a wonderful buttery taste. This masiyal is one easy way to
feed the small kids the greens. My amma makes this masiyal in "kal chatti" and "matthu" which is exactly the traditional way to make this masiyal. But since I don't have them with me now, I made it in a regular sauce pan.

Here’s
how to make mulai keerai poondu masiyal with step by step photos…

Saturday, 11 May 2013

Chinna
vengaya sambar is a very traditional sambar made in South Indian homes. Usually
it is made by grinding masala(arachu vita vengaya sambar) but here I chose an
easy and quick version of sambar that can be made in a jiffy. This is my mom's simple vengaya sambar. Checkout other South IndianSambar and Dal varieties here.